Odessa wins local STEM Challenge

ODESSA – On Feb. 2, all of the schools in the Bi-County were invited to participate in the 11th Annual Bi-County STEM Challenge. Out of the districts of Reardan, Davenport, Wilbur, Creston, ACH, Ritzville, Sprague, Lind, Liberty, Spangle, Soap Lake, Odessa and Harrington, only Odessa and Wilbur-Creston logged in virtually to compete in the annual science-based “Junkyard Wars.” Each school assembled a team of five students to vie for the traveling trophy. Team Odessa consisted of Colton Messer, Chase Kissler, Pilot Weishaar, Daeton Deife and Nathan Carstensen.

Created by the science teachers from each school system, each team had two objectives. First, the students were broken into separate mixed teams of members from each school. Each team had to play three rounds of digital Pac-Man and add their scores to those of their teammate from another school district. Teammates Nathan Carstensen of Odessa and Lance Berkey of Wilbur took first place.

The next objective required the students to return to their original school groups. For many weeks previously, they were to construct five individual portions of an apparatus capable of 15 energy transformations, once all were connected together. Using unlimited supplies, each school team activated a series of energy transformations, electrical, mechanical and chemical. Each member of the school team was responsible for creating his/her own portion of the apparatus, to include one electrical, one mechanical and one chemical energy transfer in any order. These three energy transformations were to be created to last 30 seconds total. Once each school team member’s portion was created (five portions total), the school team discussed how each portion would connect to another, making sure the first portion of the apparatus activated the second portion and so on until all five portions (now creating one large apparatus) had been activated.

Team Odessa had a total of four sections working successfully with only three minor hiccups along the way to earn the title of winner of the 11th Annual Bi-County STEM Challenge.

The Odessa team looks forward to the return of the illustrious Golden Flask Award from last year’s winners, Team Wilbur! Odessa congratulates science teacher Jason Maioho and the Wilbur School District for providing such great competition, as well as all of the other school districts! We knew it was a challenge to participate this year due to the pandemic. And congratulations to all the students present during this awesome event. We look forward to another one next year!